Red Bull Lawsuit: The Famous $13 Million Settlement Is Over. Here Is What Is Active Now
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The Red Bull lawsuit most people remember — the “gives you wings” settlement that offered $10 — is finished. Claims were due March 2, 2015, the court entered final judgment on May 12, 2015, and there is no claim form to file today. As of September 30, 2026, we found no open consumer class action against Red Bull in U.S. federal court records. What is in the news instead: Red Bull suing India's food regulator over the words “energy drink,” a European antitrust investigation, and an FDA warning about a sexual-enhancement product sold as “Red Bull Extreme” that is not a Red Bull drink.
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Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated
What the Famous Red Bull Lawsuit Was Really About
Two consumer class actions were behind it. Careathers v. Red Bull North America was filed in Manhattan federal court on January 16, 2013; Wolf v. Red Bull GmbH followed in California on February 27, 2013 and was later handled together with it in New York. News coverage called it the “gives you wings” lawsuit, but the court papers are about something more specific.
The plaintiffs alleged that Red Bull promoted its drinks as superior to “simpler and less expensive caffeine only products, such as caffeine tablets or a cup of coffee,” pointed to “scientific studies” on its website, and printed on cans that it “increases concentration and improves reaction speed.” The suits alleged that buyers paid a price premium for benefits the science did not support.
Red Bull denied any wrongdoing or liability. As part of the settlement, it confirmed that future claims about the functional benefits of its products would be “medically and/or scientifically supported.”
Case Details
Both cases ended up in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York before Judge Katherine Polk Failla: Careathers v. Red Bull North America, Inc., No. 1:13-cv-00369, and Wolf v. Red Bull GmbH, No. 1:13-cv-08008 (court docket). The settlement covered Red Bull Energy Drink, Red Bull Sugarfree, Red Bull Total Zero and the Red Bull Editions. Garden City Group was the settlement administrator, and the settlement website, energydrinksettlement.com, went live on October 3, 2014. The court entered its Final Judgment and Order of Dismissal with Prejudice on May 12, 2015.
Status on September 30, 2026: Nothing to Claim
The live Red Bull legal news is outside U.S. consumer court. On September 25, 2026, Red Bull filed a lawsuit in the Delhi High Court against India's food regulator over a ban on the “energy drink” descriptor; the company says the regulator acted without issuing any warning notice. On September 29, 2026, the court set aside the regulator's order because Red Bull had not been given a chance to present its case; the regulator may decide again after following due process. In Europe, the European Commission opened a formal antitrust investigation on November 13, 2025 into whether Red Bull restricted competition from energy drinks larger than 250ml. Neither case creates a claim for U.S. buyers.
Looking for another energy-drink case? See our Celsius energy drink lawsuit page and our Panera Charged Lemonade lawsuit page.
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Who Was Covered, and Why You Cannot Join Now
The settlement class was anyone who bought at least one Red Bull energy drink in the United States between January 1, 2002 and October 3, 2014. Being in the class was not enough to get paid: you had to file a claim form, postmarked or submitted online by March 2, 2015. That deadline has passed, and the court closed the case in May 2015.
If you started drinking Red Bull later, or never filed, there is no Red Bull class to join as of September 30, 2026. No court-appointed administrator is taking Red Bull claims, and nobody can sign you up for the old settlement.
What the Settlement Actually Paid
For anything Red Bull today: no settlement, no fund, no claim form.
Red Bull Lawsuit Timeline
- 1
January 16, 2013 — First Class Action Filed
Careathers v. Red Bull North America is filed in Manhattan federal court. A second suit, Wolf v. Red Bull GmbH, follows in California on February 27, 2013. Both challenge Red Bull's performance and concentration claims.
- 2
October 3, 2014 — $13 Million Settlement Announced
Class notice offers $10 cash or about $15 in products to U.S. buyers from January 1, 2002 through October 3, 2014. The settlement website draws roughly 67 million hits in under a day.
- 3
March 2, 2015 — Claim Deadline
Claims close. More than two million valid claims mean each award is cut to about 42% of face value: roughly $4.23 cash or $6.35 in product.
- 4
May 12, 2015 — Final Judgment
Judge Katherine Polk Failla finally approves the settlement and dismisses the cases with prejudice.
- 5
2016 — Four-Packs Arrive
Per Top Class Actions, product four-packs begin arriving January 26, 2016, and a second round of checks of up to $2.01 is reported in October 2016.
- 6
2025–2026 — The New Red Bull Headlines
The EU opens an antitrust probe on November 13, 2025. The FDA warns about “Red Bull Extreme” on March 30, 2026. Red Bull sues India's food regulator on September 25, 2026; on September 29 the Delhi High Court sets the regulator's order aside. None creates a U.S. consumer claim.
Three Things to Watch For
A famous old payout plus a household brand name is an easy hook:
“Claim your Red Bull $10” posts
Old 2014 articles and reposted videos still circulate. The deadline was March 2, 2015. A site that takes Red Bull claims today — especially one asking for a fee, bank details or your Social Security number — is not a settlement administrator.
“Red Bull Extreme” enhancement products
On March 30, 2026, the FDA told consumers not to buy or use Red Bull Extreme or Blue Bull Extreme, sold for sexual enhancement, after its analysis found undeclared sildenafil, a prescription drug ingredient. A Tampa supplement firm recalled the honey pouches. They borrow the name; they are not the energy drink.
“Check if you qualify” forms
Several pages titled “Red Bull lawsuit 2026” rank for this search. If a page asks for your phone number or purchase history to “check eligibility,” remember that no Red Bull settlement is taking claims: filling it in files nothing. A real settlement comes with a court-approved notice that names the administrator.
Red Bull Lawsuit — Questions People Actually Ask
Is there a Red Bull lawsuit I can join right now?
No. As of September 30, 2026, there is no open Red Bull class action settlement and no claim form, and we found no pending consumer class action over Red Bull drinks in federal court records. If one is filed and later settles, class members are told through a court-approved notice.
Can I still get $10 from the Red Bull 'gives you wings' settlement?
No. Claim forms had to be postmarked or submitted online by March 2, 2015, and the court entered final judgment on May 12, 2015. According to Top Class Actions, product four-packs began arriving in January 2016. There is nothing left to claim.
How much did people actually get from the Red Bull settlement?
Less than advertised. More than two million valid claims forced a pro rata cut: the court filing estimated about $4.23 per cash claim and about $6.35 in product per product claim. Top Class Actions later reported a second round of checks worth as much as $2.01.
Was Red Bull really sued because it doesn't give you wings?
That is the nickname, not the legal claim. The lawsuits alleged that Red Bull marketed its drinks as better than cheaper caffeine such as coffee or caffeine tablets, citing studies, and that cans promised better concentration and reaction speed. Red Bull denied wrongdoing and settled.
Has Red Bull ever been recalled?
The FDA's enforcement database lists two recalls by Red Bull North America, both Class III and long closed: 1,395 cases of Red Bull Total Zero in October 2015, because the cans lacked the required phenylketonurics statement for aspartame, and two batches of 8.4-ounce Red Bull Energy Drink in November 2018 after off-taste complaints, shipped to distribution centers in five western states. As of September 30, 2026, it lists no newer one. The 2026 'Red Bull Extreme' recall came from a different company and was not a Red Bull drink.
Why is Red Bull suing India?
Red Bull filed a lawsuit against India's food regulator in the Delhi High Court on September 25, 2026, over a ban on using the 'energy drink' descriptor. Red Bull says the regulator imposed the ban without issuing any warning notice and that it threatens its investments in India. On September 29, 2026, the court set aside the order because Red Bull had not been given a chance to present its case; the regulator may issue a fresh decision after a hearing. It is a dispute between a company and a government and has no effect on U.S. buyers.
What is the European Commission investigating?
On November 13, 2025, the Commission opened a formal antitrust investigation into whether Red Bull restricted competition from energy drinks larger than 250ml in shops such as supermarkets and petrol stations, at least in the Netherlands, through incentives to retailers and its role as category manager. The Commission says opening the investigation does not prejudge its outcome.
What other Red Bull lawsuits are there?
The recent federal cases naming Red Bull are individual matters: employment suits (one filed May 1, 2025 in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania), a trademark suit by Red Bull GmbH against another business (filed in New Hampshire on October 10, 2025), a contract suit filed by Red Bull Arena, Inc. on July 31, 2026, and individual injury claims. None is a consumer class settlement.
Separate from this case: were you injured in the last 2 years?
Class-action payouts are fixed amounts through an administrator. A personal injury claim is a different case — and often worth far more. Free estimate, no obligation.